Although my Dad, Bill, was a very good swimmer it was my Mum who I remember that spent hours in the pool with me showing me how to do the 'front crawl' - although she preferred a more sedate breaststroke style. She even got her hair wet to show me how to breathe properly. I wanted a new bike one year but she couldn't afford that so she got my Grandad to help her and stripped down my old bike and resprayed it Claret with Pale Blue mudguards. I got some new fancy handles and bag carrier added. I thought it was brilliant although everyone in Harpenden thought I was a West Ham fan - not a Villan! My mum encouraged me to do my Art and to try and make a career out of it. I was always making my own comics and showing her and I spent ages drawing superheroes and making up costumes. I wanted to be a commercial artist and she encouraged that - along with Ian. I wanted to go to Australia and even though she was worried, she thought I should go because otherwise I might regret it. I did go and had a brilliant time - and I'm afraid I wasn't in touch all that much. I regret that now but I didn't really think about how she might be feeling. It was one of the few times she really told me off because she was worried and upset. She told me she felt terrible about doing that but she was right - as usual.